This atlas is above all a political portrayal of European history from 900 B.C. to 1994, tracing its development from the rise of the first states (Near East and Aegean worlds) to the breakup of the USSR. Forty-six key dates printed in large numerals on red borders introduce each section, which contains a map of the continent and a subsidiary map showing more local developments. Brief textual interpretations accompany the effective and visually appealing maps, which were prepared by the prestigious firm of Batholomew of Edinburgh. The contributors to this atlas are British academicians, among them Jeremy Black, editor of A Dictionary of Eighteenth Century World History (LJ 5/1/94); their comments are concise and elucidating. Key dates and explications include 550 B.C.: The Rise of Greece; 1030: Feudal Europe; 1940: The Nazi Conquest; and 1990-1994: The Collapse of Communism, which covers the struggles of the breakaway Russian region of Chechnya. Although most libraries will need a more comprehensive historical atlas, e.g., The Times Atlas of World History (Hammond, 1993. 4th ed.), the present work can be recommended as a complementary tool for public, academic, and secondary school libraries.Â‘Harry E. Whitmore, formerly with Univ. of Maine at Augusta

Appeared in Choice on 1995-04:

This volume might more accurately be called an atlas of European political history, since the introduction makes no pretense of its having any other focus. What the contributors do provide, however, is useful within the defined scope. The maps, moreover, are clearly produced in color. In certain cases, disputed territories are shown with overlapping colors; and vaguely defined spheres of influence, like Volga Bulgaria, are shown as splotches of color without defined borders. This approach works well except in the case of the Holy Roman Empire, where the maps simply make reference to "small states." (See the exception on p. 126 for a picture of what that welter of small territorial states looked like in 1648.) One major attraction of this tool is its effort to bring the map of Europe up to date by charting the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the ethnic divisions and subdivisions of Yugoslavia. The key question here is whether the compilers might have done more with the topics they exclude without changing the focus of their effort. Since politics and economics have strong ties in the present day, they could have provided some indications of trade routes and of the seats of industry. Despite this lack, this tool is recommended for all libraries for what it does well: it treats the mapping of history as the mapping of past politics. T. M. Izbicki; Johns Hopkins University

This information is provided by a service that aggregates data from review sources and other sources that are often consulted by libraries, and readers. The University does not edit this information and merely includes it as a convenience for users. It does not warrant that reviews are accurate. As with any review users should approach reviews critically and where deemed necessary should consult multiple review sources. Any concerns or questions about particular reviews should be directed to the reviewer and/or publisher.